Harness.



No. 780,242. v PATEN'TED JAN. 17, 1905..

R. J. STIRLING.

HARNESS.

APPLICATION FILED M11. 17, 1903.

2 BHBBTS-BHEBT 1.

No. 780,242. PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905. R. J. STIRLING.

HARNESS. I

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TATES Patented January 17, 1905.

TEN FFICE.

ROBERT JOHNSTONE STIRLING, OF CHURCH CROOKHAM, NEAR ALDER- SHOT, ENGLAND.

HAHNESQM gPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,242, dated January 17, 1905.

Application filed March 17, 1903. Serial No. 148,256.

To (1, 1.071101 it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, Ronnnr JonNsToNn STIRLING, surgeon, a sub ect of the King of I the United Kingdom of (treat Britain and he land, and a resident of Church Crookham, near Aldershot, county of I-Iants, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness, of which the following isa specilication.

This invention relates to improvements in a holdback for pair-horse and team harness, also applicable for single harness, also applicable for collar or breastplate harness.

The object of my improvements is to bring into use an entirely new power in the use of harness. Hitherto practically all the leather upon horses backs has been for the purpose of carrying the breechstrap, which strap in holding up loads the weight onto the horses hind legs, and the weight of the animals body for holding up is practically lost. In my improvements the Weight of the load in holding up is withstood by the weight of the animals body by the weight being conveyed almost in a direct line from the pole-chains or polestraps over the horses body to its quarters, which are gripped by the breech -strap and the rear limbs of my carriers or back-straps, as a ball pressed against the mesh of a net, or as the horse presses its shoulder into the collar and is assisted greatly in propulsion by the weight of its body behind. The brcech-strap and its new carrier-limbs or back-strap thus share the Work, and the horses hind legs are left freer from strain and for movement, also relieving fore legs and Withers. This brcechingis adapted to any form of harness. In the case of shaft-liarness the breeching is suitably attached to the shaftsviz., to the tugs or other fittings which carry the shafts or directly to the shafts. The combined advantages are greatly-increased power and avoidance of saddle, girth, and crupper galls to horses, lightness, economy in leather, and cost of manufacture. In double harness the usual pads and cruppers and all complicated straps may be done away With, and the Work of harnessing and unharnessiug is much simplilied and quicker. In single harness no crapper is required. If a horse fall, it is easily and rapidly freed from the harness, and thus the risks from accidents lessened. Straps may be added for any special purpose.

Figure l is a side view of part of a horse, showing the attachment of the back-straps to the breeching. Fig. 2 is a plan of the backstraps or limbs of carrier, which may be attached in any suitable way at point of contact or crossing.

In accordance With my invention the breeching or breech-strap A is carried by the two straps B and G, which cross one another over the horses back, as shown in Fig. 1. The rear portion of the strap B (the same with regard to the strap 0) is suitably attached to the breech-strap A at about the middle of the horses hip, the forward portion of the said strap being suitably attached to the breechstrap or to the trace near the middle of the horses side-via, horses girth, or farther forward. The straps B and C Where they cross over the horses quarters, as shown in Fig. 1, may be secured to one another, or the said straps may be secured to a ring. such as a, as shown in Fig. .2. In the case of heavy horse-wagons chain and, other fittings are much used, so that the means of attaching the breeching must be suitable to the style of harness in use as to material and design of littings.

I claim 1. In a harness, the combination with a breech, of means for directing the weight of the animals body to the breech during the holdback, comprising a pair of straps each strap extending across the back of the animal and having both its ends secured to the breech, the rear part of said straps forming with the intermediate part of the breech a triangle, the upper angle of which is approximately fortytive degrees.

2. In a harness, the combination With a breech, of means for directing the Weight of 1 ing with the intermediate part of the breech the animals body to the breech during the 1 atrianglethe upper angle of Which is approxiholdback, comprising a pair of straps extendmately forty-five degrees.

ing across the back of the animal and secured i ROBERT JOHNSTONE STIRLING. together at their point of intersection, each of Vitnesses: said straps having both its ends secured to the SAMUEL GRIFFITHS VVELLS,

breech and the rear parts of said straps form- WVILLIAM THOMPSON. 

